A field replaceable desiccant cartridge and device, method and system there for is provided. The cartridge comprises: a housing comprising an insertion end configured to removabley mate with an aperture of a device, the insertion end configured to generally prevent moisture from entering the device when mated; a desiccant located in the housing; a circuit located within the housing, the circuit in contact with the desiccant, the circuit configured to change resistance as the desiccant changes in moisture content; one or more electrodes located at an exterior of the insertion end, the one or more electrodes in contact with the circuit; and, one or more holes through the insertion end, configured to expose the desiccant to an exterior of the housing so that the desiccant can absorb moisture there from. Devices configured with the cartridge can report moisture levels to a server, which can track problems associated with moisture in the devices.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A server comprising: a processor and a communication interface; the processor configured to: receive, using the communication interface, from a plurality of devices, respective data indicating moisture content in a respective desiccant cartridge of each of the plurality of devices, and one more indications of respective transitions between a warm environment and a cold environment; determine respective indications of normalized rates of change of moisture content within the plurality of devices from the respective data; and, when one or more of the plurality of devices is associated with a normalized rate of change of moisture content that is above a threshold normalized rate of change, provide a notification at a notification device.
A server system monitors moisture levels in desiccant cartridges installed in multiple devices and sends alerts when problems are detected. The server has a processor and a network interface. It receives moisture readings and environment temperature change data from these devices. The processor calculates how quickly the moisture content is changing within each device, normalizes the rate of change based on environment transitions, and compares this value to a threshold. If the rate exceeds the threshold, the server sends a notification to a designated device, indicating a potential issue with that device.
2. The server of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to: transmit, using the communication interface, to the one or more of the plurality of devices associated with the normalized rate of change of moisture content that is above the threshold normalized rate of change, an alert to have a respective device serviced.
Building upon the previous server-based moisture monitoring, when a device's desiccant cartridge exhibits a moisture absorption rate exceeding a predefined threshold, the server sends a command, via the network interface, specifically to *that* device. This command serves as an alert, instructing the device (or its user) to schedule maintenance or service, implying a potential problem with the desiccant cartridge or the device's moisture sealing. This proactive measure helps prevent further damage or malfunction due to excessive moisture.
3. The server of claim 1 , wherein the notification device comprises a display, and the notification comprises a visual notification at the display.
Using the server-based moisture monitoring system described before, when the server determines that a desiccant cartridge's moisture absorption rate is too high and triggers a notification, this notification is displayed visually on a screen. This display can be a dedicated monitor or a screen on a computer. The visual notification serves as an immediate and easily noticeable alert to the system administrator or user, prompting them to investigate the device with the problematic desiccant cartridge.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
October 26, 2016
May 9, 2017
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.